| OCR Text |
Show USE OF CHLORIDE OF CALCIUM IN MINES. Consul-General Richard Guenther, of Frankfort, writes that the great catastrophe at the coal mine "Itad-bod," "Itad-bod," In tho Prussian province of Westphalia, which occurred on November No-vember 12, 1908, whereby about 300 miners lost their liven, has again called public attention to the danger of coal dust in mines and the prevention pre-vention of consequent explosions. The consul-general comments: Among the many evils which the presence of finely distributed coat particles in tho air can produce, the danger of explosions In coal mines Is most preceptlble. A prominent English Eng-lish expert recently delivered a lecture lec-ture before the Institute of Mining Engineers with reference to tho prevention pre-vention of coal dust danger in mining and stated that tho most effective means Is a solution of chloride or calcium. cal-cium. It Is only of recent date that the gteat danger of the presence of coal dust has been recognized, although as far back as 1803 John Buddie called attention to It In a report. But only In 1S74 the possibility of a coal dust explosion, by itself considered, without with-out tho presence of fire damp, wa3 correctly recognized. Today coal dust in regarded as the chief factor In mine explosions. The quantity formed in the pits Is not even a largo one. If the bottom of the galleries Is once cleaned of the dust it takes quite a long tlmo before a considerable quantity quan-tity has collected again. The use of water is not effective as, In brittle rock, crumbling of same Is easily-caused easily-caused and induces danger of collapse. col-lapse. Chloride of calcium does not The use of a solution of this salt, or, l etter still, of Its dry powder, which. In consequence of Its great hygroscopic hygros-copic properties Is soon converted into a concentrated solution. Is capable of pi eventing the formation of dust for three months. The only objection against It Is the expense, so that recourse re-course may be taken to a cheaper substitute, sub-stitute, I. e., rock salt The result of ibe use of chloride of calcium, however, how-ever, is excellent. |
